Bern/Lucerne to Appenzell, stopover suggestions

  • Skimom
    Participant
    7 posts
    3 June 2022 at 2:33:54 #827396

    We are planning 8 days in Switzerland with our 18-year-old son in August. We’ll focus on hiking most of the time and want to get a good overview of the country, especially the Alps. So far this is our plan:

    Monday: Arrive Geneva late evening and stay at an airport hotel.

    Tuesday: Visit Chillon Castle (via train or boat), and then ride train to Lauterbrunnen

    Tuesday-Saturday: Four nights in Murren and hiking

    Saturday: Train to either Lucerne or Bern for a one-night stopover and quick explore

    Sunday-Tuesday: Train to Appenzell for two nights stay and one-day hiking

    Tuesday: Train to Zurich and fly home

    My question is if anyone has any suggestions for a good stopover on the way to Appenzell? I’m trying to avoid long days of train travel. I chose either Bern or Lucerne, but is there a better stopover I haven’t thought of? Is Bern or Lucerne better for an afternoon to explore? Any suggestions are appreciated. I’m now reading about the various rail passes to determine which is the best for our route!

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    Anna
    Moderator
    6274 posts
    3 June 2022 at 7:08:48 #942815

    Hi Skimom,

    Welcome to MySwissAlps.

    If you decide to spend the night in Lucerne, you can optionally travel to Appenzell via the Voralpen Express the next day. The route would be: Lucerne – Herisau (via Voralpen Express) then switch to a local train from Herisau to Appenzell. Enroute on the Voralpen Express, you can stop in Arth Goldau and do a side trip to Mt Rigi. Or enroute to Appenzell on the local train, you can stop in Jakobsbad and visit the the Kronberg resort nearby.

    For information about railpasses, please check out this page: http://www.myswissalps.com/train/ticketspasses

    Regards,

    Anna

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    3 June 2022 at 23:35:39 #942816

    You don’t really need a ‘stopover’ on the way to Appenzell. Switzerland is a small country and most train journeys are quite short. You say you are trying to “avoid long days of train travel” but Bern – Appenzell is less than 3 hours (2 hours 58 min) with just one change of train (at Gossau). Luzern – Appenzell is slightly shorter at 2h51m with again just one change (at Herisau)

    Skimom
    Participant
    7 posts
    4 June 2022 at 5:24:58 #942817

    Hello and thank you for to each of you who responded to my post–I have some good things to think about while planning. To clarify my question, I am wondering if there are alternatives to Lucerne or Bern as a stopover on our way from Lauterbrunnen to Appenzell. Is going through one of those two cities the best/most scenic routes? We have a day we can spend in-between and not sure where that should be. Sorry for any confusion how I worded my post! Thanks!

    Anna
    Moderator
    6274 posts
    4 June 2022 at 6:29:35 #942818

    Hi Skimom,

    I think either Lucerne or Bern would be a good base for 1 night. As mentioned in my previous post, from Lucerne you can optionally travel to Appenzell the next day via the Voralpen Express. From Bern, the fastest route would take you via Zurich. You can check train schedules and connections on the SBB timetable: http://www.myswissalps.com/timetable.

    regards,

    Anna

    Arno
    Moderator
    15471 posts
    4 June 2022 at 8:49:20 #942819

    Hi Skimom,

    For an 8-day train trip across Switzerland, the 8-day Swiss Travel Pass makes sense: https://www.myswissalps.com/swisstravelpass. But you’re right, there are more options. This guide can help you find out which railpass best matches your plans: https://www.myswissalps.com/train/ticketspasses/practical/chooserailpass.

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    4 June 2022 at 12:06:30 #942820

    Bern, as well as being the capital , is Switzerland’s most historic mediaeval town, so is well worth a visit. You might like to visit the Bear park by the river.

    Luzern is also great with the huge lake surrounded by all the mountains

    Your choice in the end!

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